Three-Quarter Sleeved Blazers in Winter

How do you wear three-quarter sleeved blazers once winter arrives? Reader R wonders…

Now that the cooler months are approaching, I have a question about 3/4 length sleeve blazers. I have a belted one that is very warm and work-appropriate, but I never know what sort of shirt to wear under it. (Ditto for many cute blazers I see out there, especially tweed ones.) Is it OK to wear a long-sleeved shirt under a blazer with 3/4 length sleeves? If so, what color/fit guidelines would you recommend? It seems like a waste to have a blazer in a heavier fabric if your wrists and lower arms are going to be exposed to the elements.

Interesting question. (Pictured above: Rebecca Taylor Raw-Edge Tweed Blazer, on sale at Last Call: was $395, now marked to $126.40 (sizes 4-8 only).) We’ve talked in general about what to wear beneath suit jackets, and how to wear a black blazer as a separate, but we haven’t talked about this. For my $.02, this is how I’ve always worn them, but I’m curious to see what other ladies are doing:

With a very long-sleeved sweater or turtleneck beneath. By “very long sleeved” I mean I generally look for sleeves that hit past my wrists, maybe even on the top part of my hands. I almost never see these marketed as such — it’s just the kind of thing that you know if you’ve got it or if you’re trying it on. (I’m a fairly short person anyway so it’s the rare sweater that hits perfectly at my wrist anyway.) In this case, I generally would put the watch inside the sleeve, but would consider putting a bangle or any arm jewelry on the outside of the bottom layer’s sleeve. (But I’m generally opposed to clanging bangles for the office anyway, so know your office.)
With a three-quarter sleeved sweater or shirt beneath. Yes, this leaves your forearm exposed, but you can always buy long gloves to make up for the space if you’re outside.
With a wool sheath dress (or a short-sleeved wool or cashmere sweater) — so long as the underlying fabric is appropriately “winter,” it won’t matter that your forearms are exposed. This can be an even warmer outfit in practice than the first one (because your turtleneck could be a thin jersey material).

I’ve never worn a blouse with normal-length sleeves beneath a three-quarter sleeve jacket, but I’m sure I’ve seen it done — it seems more like Fashion 401 rather than Fashion 101, though, so proceed at your own comfort level.

Readers, how do you wear three-quarter sleeved blazers in the winter?

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